North Goonyella Coal Mine Waste Gas Electricity Generation Facility

The North Goonyella Coal Mine Waste Gas Electricity Generation Facility is a coal mine waste gas project located at the North Goonyella Mine (recently renamed the Centurion Mine), approximately 40 kilometres north of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin of Central Queensland. Registered in March 2024, the project operates within the mining lease of this established metallurgical coal operation, which sits roughly 160km west of Mackay.

This project operates under the Coal Mine Waste Gas (CMWG) methodology. Its primary function is to capture fugitive methane, a potent greenhouse gas released during coal extraction, that would otherwise be vented into the atmosphere. Instead of being released, the gas is combusted in electricity production devices. This process serves a dual purpose: it converts the methane into less harmful carbon dioxide and generates electricity that displaces power otherwise drawn from the grid. This specific registration appears to represent a new phase of gas abatement at the site, managed by Helmont Carbon Abatement, following previous gas power operations at the mine which were historically managed by other entities like EDL.

The surrounding region is characterized by the semi-arid to sub-tropical climate typical of the Central Highlands, featuring hot summers and distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape is dominated by mining operations interspersed with cattle grazing on cleared brigalow scrub. The soils in this area are predominantly Vertosols (cracking clays), which are well-known in the Bowen Basin for their high fertility but tendency to swell and crack with moisture changes. The mine itself has a significant history, having undergone a period of closure and care and maintenance before resuming operations under Peabody Energy as the Centurion Mine in 2024.